Child-supporting harnesses of this kind have long been known to the art and are available in many different configurations. The present invention, however, relates particularly to that type of harness with which the arms and legs of the child supported thereby will essentially straddle the body of the wearer.
A child-supporting harness of this kind, known in practice, is constructed to support the child on the chest-side of the wearer and the harness normally includes a bag-like support which is firmly joined to two looped harness straps, one for each shoulder, over substantially the whole of its vertical extension on the rear side of the bag. The bag is provided with leg openings through which the legs of the child extend at the bottom of the bag, and the bag can be opened along one side edge thereof, so as to enable a child to be placed easily in and removed from the bag. The looped straps are provided with openable locking devices in the region where the straps are joined to the bottom part of the bag, and means are provided whereby the length of the straps can be adjusted, although in practice not while the harness is worn. This type of harness has no means whereby the two looped straps can be joined together at the back of the wearer.
This known child-supporting harness, which can be said to constitute the standpoint of techniques in relation to the present invention, is encumbered with a number of drawbacks. For example, it is difficult to transfer a sleeping child from the harness to a bed, without waking the child. Furthermore, it is difficult to place a child in the harness and to remove a child therefrom while the harness is worn by the wearer. The carrying safety of such a harness is also relatively low, since the looped straps tend to slide over the wearer's shoulders. Any strap securing device provided on the rear side of the harness between the looped straps would be difficult and troublesome to manipulate.